Walker Traveling to New Mexico Today to Campaign and Fundraise With Pearce Today, as Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker heads to New Mexico to fundraise with gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce, the Democratic Governors Association and New Mexico and Wisconsin Democratic Parties called on Pearce to say whether he would bring Walker’s damaging education agenda to New Mexico.

In Wisconsin, Walker has been a disaster on education. As governor, Walker slashed nearly $1 billion for public education, the largest cut in state history. Walker also spent his time antagonizing educators and created a statewide teacher shortage. Meanwhile, New Mexico already ranks 49th in education under Gov. Susana Martinez’s failed leadership.

Just a week after Governor Walker professed to be “not a national figure,” he continues his aggressive schedule of national political travel and neglecting Wisconsin to support an extreme candidate who is out of touch with the people of his state (and too toxic for even his own party).

DGA Executive Director Elisabeth Pearson, Democratic Party of New Mexico Chair Richard Ellenberg, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning spoke on a press call along with representatives of the Albuquerque Federation of Teachers and NEA New Mexico. They discussed Walker’s record of decimating Wisconsin’s public education system and how the people of New Mexico can’t afford another governor who puts personal political ambition and ideology ahead of the state’s needs.

Audio of this call is available upon request.

“It’s clear that Scott Walker only cares about Scott Walker’s political career, and Wisconsin families have paid the price as he gutted the state’s public education system,” said DGA Executive Director Elisabeth Pearson. “New Mexico can’t afford further Scott Walker and Susana Martinez-style education devastation. But it appears that’s just what Steve Pearce would do if elected.”

“After seven years of Governor Martinez, New Mexico can’t afford another governor who puts political ideology ahead of our state, which is why Scott Walker should keep his funding cuts in Wisconsin and leave us alone,” said New Mexico Democratic Party Chairman Richard Ellenberg. “Our students and families can’t afford the same attacks on public education that Walker pushed in Wisconsin.”

“Scott Walker has neglected Wisconsin and put his own personal political ambitions ahead of education in our state,”said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning. “Children in New Mexico and Wisconsin deserve leaders who see public schools, tech colleges and universities as the economic engine that creates opportunities and builds stronger economies and communities. I urge the people of New Mexico and Wisconsin to reject right-wing extremists Scott Walker and Steve Pearce.”

Albuquerque, N.M. - As Steve Pearce brought the anti-worker Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to New Mexico today, the New Mexico Federation of Labor sent a strong message with billboards across Albuquerque. The billboards will be visible all day Wednesday, March 7 on I-40 at 6th and 12th and on Paseo at Edith and Jefferson.

"In New Mexico, we value our workers, and if Steve Pearce thinks he can bring a governor known for anti-worker, anti-social justice policies, he's gonna know that policies that hurt workers aren't welcome in our state. If Steve Pearce's rubbing elbows with governors like Walker, he doesn't deserve to be governor in New Mexico," said Jon Hendry, President of the New Mexico Federation of Labor.

"Scott Walker will go down in history as the worst governor for workers,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. “He has a consistent record of attacking workers’ rights while failing to create jobs. Since the day Walker took office he has been looking to advance the wants and desires of his millionaire and billionaire campaign donors at the expense of working people.”

The billboard buy was placed by the New Mexico Federation of Labor to ensure New Mexicans knew that gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce associates himself with anti-worker colleagues. Scott Walker has pushed policies that have lowered wages and benefited big business instead of everyday workers, including signing legislation that made Wisconsin a so-called "right to work" state. Data shows that states with right to work laws in place have lower wages. Walker has eliminated worker protections, cut wages and benefits, rescinded equal pay protections and is against raising the minimum wage -- in addition to gutting unions.

Governor Walker and the Republicans have passed many other bills with a negative impact on unions and workers:

-Legalizing a “seven day work week,” repealing a law that said employees must have at least one day of rest every seven days.

–Repealing the “living wage” law, which gave workers the option to demand better pay — as much as $6,000 annually — than the minimum wage. Meanwhile, Walker and Republicans have resisted calls to raise the minimum wage, which have been passed in 21 states.

-Ending project labor agreements by local governments, which require the use of union workers for public works projects. The state Senate and Assembly have both passed similar bills which simply need to be consolidated.

-Eliminating child labor law rule that “16- and 17-year-olds couldn’t work more than 26 hours during a school week and more than 50 hours a week during vacations,” as Bloomberg.com reported. The new law lifted those restrictions.